Truth of the Matter
by bhut
Summary: Post 4x10. Some canon divergence. Jeffrey Mace's true condition might've come out, but it doesn't change the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. itself isn't the same any more.


**Truth of the matter**

 _Disclaimer: none of the characters are mine, but belong to Marvel™._

…When Daisy came to the S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting, the others were already there, even Yo-Yo, who was, however, staying at the back, and not looking like her regular self. Daisy frowned, but because she was also concerned about Melinda at the point, she kept quiet.

"Where's Melinda?" Coulson sounded about as worried as Daisy herself felt.

"She'll be here later," she told her father figure. "I don't think that she has truly recovered from our latest fight with Hydra – boy, does this feel strange to say. Lately S.H.I.E.L.D.'s official policy was that Hydra was gone for good, you know?"

"Tell me about it," Leo Fitz piped up from his corner. "I know that you weren't really here when the good general took it all down, but yeah, until the incident with the new director, we all did think that Hydra was gone. Guess it's back as the Watchdogs, or something."

"I hope not," Daisy shuddered. "The Watchdogs have already established themselves as the new KKK. Hydra is the last thing that we need in their mix."

"Yes, they are all Nazis anyhow," Jemma spoke brightly – from behind Leo for some reason. "Right, Daisy?"

Daisy looked askance at the shorter woman. "Does it really matter, all these labels, Jemma?" she countered with her own question. "Right now it doesn't matter what makes them tick; we just need to begin taking them all down instead." She paused, finally noticing that something was off. "Um, aren't we missing the new director?" she asked the obvious question.

"We were just talking about it – sorry that we didn't wait for you and Melinda," Coulson looked honestly guilty. "You see, before you and her and your team rescued us, we discovered that Jeffrey Mace _isn't_ an InHuman, but rather an ordinary person, who was, or is, using your father's modified formula to acquire super strength."

"As he did in the initial public attack with the podium?" Daisy's question was honestly innocent, but it did cause Coulson to pause, exchange a look with Mack…and then the two men trotted over to a corner and began to do some calculations instead.

"…Okay, this wasn't part of the discussion," Jemma blinked. "We still aren't back to our regular normal…whatever that is, admittedly, but still. Also, you are remarkably even-headed about Jeffrey Mace not being an InHuman."

"Word among the InHumans on the street is that Mace should be treated cautiously, not trusted fully and kept his distance from," Daisy shrugged. "I guess we know now why…or not, since Phil and Mack aren't happy with their new conclusions. Glad to have you back, guys, want to share?"

"No," Phil replied brightly, before toning it down. "No, I mean is that we stand by our earlier statement – Mace is a human, who is trying to pass as an InHuman using Cal's formula – well, his modified formula, but still…"

"Yes, well, apparently Cal was the first person to figure out how to change their biochemistry to become some sort of an artificial InHuman instead," Daisy twitched her nose. "Raina was probably the second. I guess that this makes Jeffrey the third? You know, some sort of a human-InHuman hybrid? What?" she added into the following silence. "We _are_ talking about my father, remember? These days, I try to keep track of this sort of thing."

"Is this what happened to you?" Jemma asked quietly, the memory of their half-conversation half-confrontation after the visit to senator Nadeer's house fresh in her mind.

"Let's see," Daisy did not sound angry, just morose. "After I left S.H.I.E.L.D. – it was what? Six, eight months ago-"

"Nine," Yo-Yo spoke quietly. "By now it is more like nine, I would say."

The FitzSimmons looked at the Colombian InHuman. "What is wrong with you?" Jemma asked quietly. "Also family matters?"

"You can say that," Yo-Yo replied with her accent still noticeable. "Maybe we should talk about someone else? Like, why is Melinda May not yet here?"

"Good point," Daisy nodded, before pausing. "Phil, you want to try your luck with her now? You're the closest person to her lately."

Coulson turned red. "Okay," he muttered, and dialled the number of Melinda's comm.-link on Daisy's tablet.

"…Yes?" Online, May's voice sounded as it normally did – not very warm or inviting.

"It's me," Coulson cautiously replied – for all of their closeness lately, not even he wanted to confront the Cavalry in a bad mood. "You aren't here. Where are you? We are worried-"

"Phil, I'm fine, I swear. Physically, anyhow. Otherwise, well, yeah," Melinda trailed away. "I'll be back soon, I just need few hours away to get myself together – and no, it isn't about that fight with Hydra." She paused. "You know? This feels kind of weird – for a while we thought that Talbot have dealt it a final blow…"

"I know, I was there," Talbot, who should have been long gone back to D.C., spoke suddenly, startling the other people in the room. "Apparently, just like its' mythological counterpart, our Hydra is immortal."

"I wouldn't say that the Hydra from the myths was _really_ immortal," Fitz frowned, "and what are you doing here?"

"My sources just told me that these days Hydra is run, at least to a point, by a man named Horten, or Horden, so I decided to share it with you," Talbot replied in his usual military manner. "He is an InHuman or a gifted or something like that. Apparently nasty character – like Rumlow was, but can fly."

"You know, I think I remember Bobbi mention this name once or twice," Mack was thoughtful.

"Which one, Rumlow or Horten?" Talbot raised an eyebrow.

"Both, actually," Mack grew thoughtful. "I'll have to think on it."

"You do that," Talbot nodded, before switching his attention to Daisy. "Agent Johnson? Glad to have you back on the force. I know that the two of us never saw eye to eye, but can you please try to ensure that Phil over here, and Jeffrey out there don't drive a wedge between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. government _again_ , would you?" and having said that, he left.

"Wow, he _really_ doesn't like you," Daisy looked rather apologetically at Coulson. "Sorry about that. I know that you really tried to mend bridges with him, or whatever-"

"…How do you know him?" Coulson managed.

"…I tried to fit in with the InHumans who are trying to integrate themselves into the U.S. society," Daisy looked away first. "I realized that it wouldn't work; you people are my family, for better or for worse. That said, I do know that Talbot is a part of the U.S. government who is pro-InHuman, so I am trying to make an effort these days not to fight with him. He is not a likable man, but neither is he a bad man, nowhere near some of the people that we had to deal with ever since you got me out of the van." She exhaled and looked around. "People, seriously! I did other things than just run around the country fighting evil! I met other people, some of them were actually good people – they just weren't you," she finished, more quietly than how she had begun.

"Oh Daisy," Fitz muttered as he walked over to her and gave her a hug, (followed closely by Jemma).

"…Now I _do_ regret not being there," May ( **cough** ) muttered over the tablet and comm.-link. "Phil, I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Thank you," Coulson nodded, solemnly. He looked around: Daisy was still busy with the FitzSimmons; Mack went over to Yo-Yo to talk to her about something else. Mace's true condition might have been revealed, but it did not change anything: S.H.I.E.L.D. was changing, and Coulson could not stop this.

End


End file.
